The state Attorney General's Office has released its annual 2023 Human Trafficking report, and Lexington County’s numbers are the fifth-highest in South Carolina.

The report highlights the five counties in S.C. with the highest volumes of human trafficking hotline calls. Greenville and Horry tied for the highest number, with Charleston in second, Richland and Spartanburg tied for third, Aiken in fourth and Lexington and Orangeburg counties tied for fifth.

The report is released annually in January, which is recognized nationally as Human Trafficking Prevention Month. The Attorney General's office released the report during a press conference on Columbia College’s campus Jan. 11, which is national Human Trafficking Awareness Day.

 "Almost every victim never expects to be a victim until they are a victim,” state Attorney General Alan Wilson said. “Please don't assume your child is above being preyed upon or don't assume you're above being preyed upon.”

The state Law Enforcement Division had 357 open human trafficking cases in 2023, down from 440 the year prior.

Despite open cases being down, the number of people involved has only increased. Cases included 468 people total, 460 minors and 38 adults, compared to 416 total victims in 2022.

“Human trafficking doesn’t just happen to kids and it’s not like the movies,” said Pam Imm, chairperson of the Attorney General’s Office’s Community Outreach Subcommittee. She is also a community psychologist who works with LRADAC, the state-designated alcohol and drug abuse authority covering the counties of Lexington and Richland, and serves as board chair for Lexington’s Courage Center, the Midlands’ first recovery community organization supporting youth 14-26 struggling with substance abuse and their family members. 

“My job is to help people understand what trafficking actually looks like.”

Not all human trafficking reports are in regard to sex trafficking, the report notes. 

“The data also shows that while situations of suspected sex trafficking are being reported at a higher rate, the number of likely victims are higher for labor trafficking than sex trafficking,” the report states.

The state's human trafficking task force was mandated in 2012, and it includes multiple state agencies with more than 1,100 members receiving communications.

“A good model for what we're doing is we're increasing community awareness that can lead to community concern,” Imm said.

The task force breaks down into 12 subcommittees, an advisory council and 10 regional task forces.

The task force has received $1.2 million in recurring funds from the state General Assembly. During the press conference on Jan. 11, Wilson said he plans to ask for more than $10 million to open shelters and promote awareness campaigns.

“We intend to increase the number of shelters available to child human trafficking victims,” he said.

The report highlighted the task force’s various efforts, including the launch of TraffickProofSC, a statewide effort launched in July 2023. In partnership with SCETV Public Radio, the state started the series of free age-appropriate educational videos and curriculum designed for middle and high school students. 

More than 3,000 backpacks with school supplies were given to students around the state to promote this initiative in July.

TraffickProofSC is the first state-wide trafficking prevention effort in S.C.

“TraffickProof is actually quite exciting,” Imm said. “It’s a big deal for the task force.”

The curriculum gives an overview on what human trafficking is, along with instruction in staying safe online and education on labor trafficking and sex trafficking.

The program is in the process of being piloted in a Richland County school, according to Imm. 

“All the task forces, the regional task forces will continue to do some planning around community awareness, community concern and community action,” she said.

If you or someone you know is looking for help in the case of human trafficking, you can call the confidential National Human Trafficking hotline at (888) 373-7888.